We refer to the written statement made by the de facto Minister for Law in Parliament yesterday stating that there would be no prosecution of Ibrahim Ali over his Bible-burning statement as he was “only defending the sanctity of Islam”.

The Christian Federation of Malaysia on behalf of Christians in Malaysia is outraged at the fact that threats to burn our Holy Bible is considered an act in defence of Islam.

The CFM feels strongly that this position is irresponsible as it gives carte blanche or free rein to other extremists to do likewise not just to Christians but to any other religious community that is not Muslim.

By no logic or rationalisation and under no circumstances whatsoever can a threat or call to violent action, desecration of another Malaysian citizen’s sacred text be considered defensive.

We strongly protest against the obviously inexcusable position adopted by the Government. We call upon all right thinking members of Parliament, irrespective of their ethnicity, religious background or political affiliation to join in passing a motion of censure against the Minister for making such a scandalous and irresponsible statement.

Like this:

Christian Federation of Malaysia
Persekutuan Kristian Malaysia

23 June 2014

Christian Federation of Malaysia Media Statement

CHRISTIANS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH REFUSAL TO GRANT LEAVE TO APPEAL TO FEDERAL COURT

The Christian Federation of Malaysia is naturally extremely disappointed that the Federal Court has refused leave for The Roman Catholic Church to appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal in The Herald case.

We continue to maintain that the decision of the Court of Appeal, and its reasoning in arriving at their decision, were so critically flawed in so many respects. Simple justice would have mandated an appeal, to rectify the many incorrect and inaccurate statements and observations of the Court of Appeal that led to its decision.

Serious negative repercussions for the freedom of religion for the Christian community in Malaysia as a whole emanate from those statements and observations, but sadly The Roman Catholic Church has been denied the opportunity of challenging them before our apex court.

The Attorney General had previously publicly pointed out in his statement issued on 20th October 2013 that this decision is only with respect to the use of the word “Allah” in The Herald newspaper. As legal advisor to the Government of Malaysia, we will hold him and the Government of Malaysia to that position.

Given the refusal to grant The Roman Catholic Church leave to appeal, we will in proceeding with our actions and activities therefore treat the decision of the Court of Appeal as being confined to the specific facts of that particular case, and otherwise maintain that the Christian community continues to have the right to use the word “Allah” in our Bibles, church services and Christian gatherings in our on-going ministry to our Bahasa Malaysia-speaking congregations, as we have done all this while.

There are several pending cases before our courts that involve this issue. We will have to see whether these will provide alternative avenues to uphold and defend freedom of religion and freedom of religious expression in Malaysia.

In the meantime, we call on the Christian community in Malaysia to remain steadfast in their faith and courageous in the face of much prolonged adversity.

The programme was negative and did not promote peaceful co-existence and harmony.

If such programmes are permitted to run in other higher institutions of learning in the days ahead, it will only raise confusion and a sense of prejudice among Muslim students against people of other faiths.

Institutions of higher learning should instead be promoting mutual understanding and acceptance.

One could perhaps ask how Muslims would feel, if followers of other faiths were to invite their experts to interpret how the Koran should be interpreted.

The seminar smacked of gross insensitivity and went against the grain of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib’s “One Malaysia Policy”.

It is deeply disappointing, and this is only putting it mildly, that in the first place, this seminar was allowed to be held.

* The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) Malaysia is a member of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), Evangelical Fellowship of Asia and one of the three component bodies of the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM).

Like this:

Selangor State Government Shirking Responsibility

It was reported on 2 April 2014 that the Selangor State Government had advised the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) to write to the Attorney General to request for the release of Bibles seized from its premises on 2 January 2014.

The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) is disappointed by this apparent attempt on the part of the Selangor State Government to wash its hands off the matter.

The fact remains that the Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS), acting under powers purportedly given to it by a State enactment, raided the premises of BSM and seized more than 300 copies of the AlKitab and the Bup Kudus, Bibles written in Bahasa Malaysia and the Iban language respectively. These Bibles remain in their possession.

The officers of JAIS may be authorised to act only after consultation and on the advice of the Selangor State Government. The Selangor State Government is accountable as in the raid of BSM, JAIS acted as an agency of the Selangor State Government. It is therefore perverse that the Selangor State Government is now asking BSM to look to the Attorney General to resolve this matter.

CFM strongly urges the Selangor State Government to act without further delay to order the safe and prompt return of the Bibles to BSM.

It is a ludicrous suggestion that JAIS had the necessary power to seize the Bibles, but that it is only with the approval and authorisation of the Attorney General that these very same Bibles can be released. This is nothing short of ‘passing the buck’, and is totally unacceptable.

The Selangor State Government is duty bound to act in this matter and must not shirk its responsibility. Order the return of the Bibles now.